This invention relates to a ski boot heel binding having a heel engaging jaw pivotably connected to a supporting frame body on a base plate.
In a ski boot heel binding of the type set forth above, it is desired from the viewpoint of safety that the heel engaging jaw has a longer restorable stroke, which allows the jaw displaced to a position not reaching a heel releasing position to return to the normal heel engaging position. Also, it is desired that the binding can hold a ski boot with a relatively strong force at the initial stage of displacement of the jaw in order that a vertical play of the jaw by a relatively small upward shock can be eliminated.
The known ski boot heel bindings have various kind of locking means. These locking means can widely be divided into link locking system and cam locking system. The link locking system has an advantage that can gain a long restorable stroke of the heel engaging jaw. However, it was a disadvantage in the link locking system that the binding force applied to the jaw is proportionally decreased by increase of the amount of displacement of the jaw. Accordingly, it was experienced that even when a relatively small upward shock is applied to a ski boot, the jaw is vertically and largely vibrated without being displaced to a heel releasing position. Such vibration or vertical play of the ski boot is dangerous as it prevents accurate control of the ski.
On the other hand, it becomes possible in the cam locking system to afford a higher binding force to the jaw at the initial stage of displacement of the jaw by forming the cam member into a desired shape. Thus, the dangerous vertical play of the jaw can be minimized in the cam locking system. However, in the known cam locking system, a cam member is swingably supported to a frame and is pressed against a transverse rod, so that it was difficult to gain a long restorable stroke of the heel engaging jaw.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a ski boot heel binding having the both advantages of the link locking system and cam locking system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a ski boot heel binding having a longer restorable stroke with a desired high binding force minimizing a dangerous vertical vibration of a jaw at the initial stage of displacement thereof.